From Enemies to Lovers
by Master Thief
Summary: Just what happens when Rikku and Gippal, who’ve been neither enemies nor friends since forever, are bound to be tied by marriage? Will they do everything to untie the knot or will they stop their hearts from falling for each other?
1. No Way!

**A/N: Hello people! I hope you enjoy reading this one! And by the way, if you want to know what will be the pairings of this fic, I suggest you better read on since I'm not sure yet! XD**

**DISCLAIMER: FFX2 belongs to its respective owners.**

**SUMMARY: Just what happens when Rikku and Gippal, who've been neither enemies nor friends since forever, are bound to be tied by marriage? Will they do everything to untie the knot or will they stop their hearts from falling for each other?**

**CHAPTER ONE- NO WAY!**

"You're just joking, right?" asked Rikku

Cid held his daughter's shoulders "Do we look like a bunch of jokers, Rikku? We're serious. We do not plan to say such jokes to both of you."

Gippal sighed "Marriage is no joke, Cid."

"I know."

"If you know that getting married is not a joke, how come you're telling us a stupid joke that we should get married?" asked Rikku angrily

Gippal's mother stood up and faced Rikku "Rikku, we're not joking. We're serious. We want you two to get married."

Gippal raised his eyebrow "But why?"

"And of all people I should marry!" Rikku said sarcastically "Pops! I must admit that I wanna settle down but if I will marry this guy, no way! I don't want to marry him!"

"And who told you that I want to marry you? I don't want to live forever with an annoying brat who still thinks that she's a kid!" asked Gippal

"Who do you call a brat?"

"STOP IT YOU TWO!" Cid yelled

The two stopped arguing. Gippal turned his back to avoid further argumentation with Rikku. Rikku, on the other hand, sat down beside her father.

"Tell us…" Rikku asked calmly

"What is it?" Cid asked back

"Why should I marry Gippal? And why are you forcing us to settle down? I haven't even fulfilled half of my dreams!"

"Rikku…sorry to tell you this but…we've arranged this eight years ago…"

The girl was shocked "Eight years ago? You mean…"

"…yes. We arranged this while you're away."

"Damn!" Rikku muttered "I appreciate the fact that you're helping me prepare my future. However, the one thing I don't appreciate is your choice of my future husband. Marriage is not just a game and we should think a hundred times before considering your decision that you should indeed want to get married. You should also be sure if the one you'll marry is really him or her. In my case, I haven't found the guy I will be with for the rest of my life. And of all people, why did you choose that cocky, arrogant freak? You should have consulted me first about this!" Rikku replied

"Rikku, I understand how you feel but this is what the law of the Al Bhed states. The daughter of the leader can't take her place as a leader just yet unless she gets married. Gippal is a very fine man and he can handle such task very well that's why I chose him to be your husband."

"I have a brother remember? How about him? You can always entrust the responsibility to him!"

Cid laughed "What? You want me to choose Aniki as our next leader? It's like you're asking me to have a monkey as our next leader!"

Rikku sighed "Well. If you want me to be the leader, that's fine by me. However, marriage is not fine by me. I will choose the man I will marry myself."

"I agree with her. Being entrusted with such responsibility is fine except for marrying a brat. I don't want to be her babysitter!" Gippal replied

Rikku glared at Gippal "Excuse me?"

"Unfortunately that is the truth…"

"And who would want to marry a cocky, arrogant guy? Come on, tell me! The prostitute?"

"Who do you call a prostitute?" Gippal asked angrily

"Uhm…what was her name again?"

Gippal glared at her "Don't you dare call her a prostitute! Chloe is not a prostitute! She is a very decent woman unlike you."

"It's not my fault that I call her like that. Just look at the way she dresses! And don't you dare compare me to that bitch!"

Rayjah, Gippal's mother, stopped the heated argumentation between the two people "Stop this, once and for all you two! Unfortunately, whether you like it or not, you two will get married!"

"Mom!"

"Rayjah sighed "I'm sorry."

"Sorry? Is that all you could say?" and Gippal walked away

"Forgive me, Lady Rayjah, Pops, but I think…I kind of agree with him…" Rikku walked out of room as well, leaving the two parents behind.

"Well, Cid?"

"You give up already?"

"That's not it. What should we do then?"

* * *

They knew each other since they were very young. They were not exactly enemies but they're not exactly friends either. Confusing, isn't it? This kind of relationship was the primary reason why the parents of the unlikely couple arranged their future wedding rites. They both send their kids to Bevelle University after they graduated in high school in hopes that their relationship will grow. But what happened is far from what they've expected. Gippal met and fell in love with a certain woman named Chloe, who happens to be the daughter of the owner of one of the popular TV stations in Spira. Rikku turned down all her suitors during the time she's busy studying. And what's worst, there was no development in their "neither friend nor enemy" relationship.

* * *

"Hey cousin! I'm so glad to see you! It's been five years!" said Yuna as she hugs her cousin who visited her in her home in Besaid.

"Yunie! I missed you so much!"

Yuna lets Rikku in and lets her sit down in the couch in front of the 24 in. TV set. Rikku watched TV as her cousin prepares their drinks.

"So, what's up? I heard from Uncle Cid that you graduated summa cum laude. Congratulations. Too bad, Dad's not here. He went out together with his friends on a vacation. You should have told us that you're coming."

"No, it's okay. It's just that I only came here because I'm very angry."

Yuna puts down the tray on the table and sits down beside Rikku "Angry? Is there anything wrong?"

"Pops puts me in an arrangement." said Rikku as she takes a sip of espresso.

"What arrangement?"

"Wedding arrangement, Yunie. And of all people he chose to be my stupid betrothed is none other than that jerk who goes by the name Gippal!"

"Gippal? You mean the son of Rayjah, one of the stockholders in the Luca Stock Exchange? And the one who always annoys you ever since you're kids?"

"Yes. That was him. They did it because they believe that we can handle our responsibilities as the next leaders. And because, I can't take my place as the next leader unless I marry."

"How about Brother? He has also the right to be the leader, right?"

"Yeah but Cid won't allow him to be the leader after him because of his stupidity."

Yuna turns off the TV set "Did you tell Uncle that you don't want to marry him?"

"I told him but Pops and Lady Rayjah said that whether we like it or not, we'll get married. Yunie! Help me! I don't want to settle down with that guy!"

"Rikku…you know that I can't meddle with your Pops' decision just like that. But don't lose hope just yet. I'll talk to Dad when he comes back and I'll tell him about this. We'll try to ask Cid to cancel the wedding."

Rikku hugged her cousin "Thanks, Yunie! You really are the best cousin and friend I ever had! Thanks a lot!"

Yuna chuckled "You're welcome, Rikku. Oh wait, let's change subject. Can you bother telling me what has happened during your busy years in Bevelle University?"

* * *

"Chloe, you don't have to be mad at me. How many times do I have to tell you that we don't have any relationship?"

Chloe took a deep breath and faced Gippal "If you really don't have any relationship with that bitch, how come your parents, including her parents, arranged for your marriage?"

"I…I don't know! Why don't you ask them?"

"I don't have time for jokes right now, Gippal. All I need from you is explanation."

Gippal puts his arms around her waist is kissed her on the neck "I told you, Chloe, I don't know. And besides, I don't have plans of marrying that brat."

Chloe looks at Gippal "Really? I thought you were warned that you will marry her whether you like it or not."

"There's no problem with that, honey. After all, I will tell them that I don't want to marry her. And I will tell them that you're the one I want to marry."

Chloe chuckled "Wow. How sweet of you."

"Of course. You're my sweetie after all."

"Indeed. You're mine and I'm yours."

After their sweet moments, Gippal and Chloe kissed each other on the lips.

* * *

That night, Rikku was busy reading a book when someone knocked at the door of her room. Annoyed, she placed the bookmark on the current page of what she's reading and closed the book.

"Cut the crap! I'm busy reading! Who the hell are you?" yelled Rikku

"It's me."

"What's your problem, Gippal?" asked Rikku

"We need to talk!"

"Look, if you'll say something, say it now!"

"It's too privy I can't risk anyone listening to our yells."

Rikku rolled her eyes and stood up to open the door. Her face was only a few centimeters away from his. Feeling that her cheeks have warmed up, she immediately turned away from him and told him to go inside.

"Now what? You're inside my room and we can now talk to each other without taking the risk of being heard by other people. Tell it to me now before I lose my patience on you!"

"It's about the wedding, Rikku…"

**TBC…see you next chapter!**

**Master Thief/Shizuku06/heavenlystrike**


	2. The Deal

**CHAPTER TWO-THE DEAL **

**A/N: Thanks for your reviews! **

**Finally! I have graduated from high school. Too bad I won't be able to see my classmates again. I'll miss them. Now that we're on our summer vacation, I have more time to write this! Yippee!**

**Ok, enough of this…let's go on to the next chapter**

Rikku wore her eyeglasses and sat down on her king-sized bed with blue bedcovers. She placed her book on the bedside table and faced Gippal.

"What about the wedding? Don't tell me that you're already accepting the stupid proposal they set up on us…"

Gippal rolled his eye and laughed "What the hell are you thinking, Miss Know-it-All? Me? Accept the proposal? No way!"

"Gippal…if you're just here to annoy me…better get the hell out of here. I'm reading, you know! And I hate to be disturbed when I'm reading!"

"Ok…ok! I'll tell you. I'm against the wedding."

"Well…I'm against it, too. So?"

"We need to do something to stop them from their craziness!"

Rikku grinned "Yeah…but…what should we do? We told them that we don't want to marry but what did they tell us? Whether we like it or not, the wedding will go on…" and she stared at the window beside her bed

Gippal sighed "I'm aware of that but we can always convince them that things will not go as what they expect once we get married."

Rikku shifted her gaze back to Gippal "Do you have a plan, then?"

"Simple. Tell them that you we'll not get married but you want me as the next leader because it is our agreement."

"WHAT? NO WAY! I will not allow that!"

"Huh?"

"I will not pass on my rights as the next leader!"

"How can you be a leader if the law states that a woman should marry before taking her position? And Brother is not allowed to be the next leader because he's a moron, according to Cid, right?"

"I'll get marry then. Simple."

"And who will you marry? Me?"

Rikku glared at him "No. I'll go get a boyfriend then. Isn't that simple?"

"Boyfriend? And who's that unlucky guy? That brown-haired freak?"

"Brown-haired freak? Excuse me?"

"Oh I mean Alexander, your persistent suitor. You turned him down for almost 100 times before, right?"

"Yeah but that was before. He's a good person after all but at that time, I need to focus on my studies. But…uhm…I like him."

Gippal chuckled "That was a good plan. However, I don't think Cid will like that idea either. He wants you to marry an Al Bhed. Don't tell me you'll use contact lenses on him and you'll teach him Al Bhed so that you could fool your father? I don't think so."

Rikku rolled her eyes in annoyance "Fine, fine, fine! Forget it! So, tell me, Gippal. Why all of sudden you become interested to become the next leader?"

"Nothing. It's just that it is the best way I could think to stop those people from their craziness. Why? You want to be the next leader?"

"Yes. I want to be the next leader because Pops won't allow Brother."

"Is that all?"

Rikku sighed "Maybe."

They remained silent for a few moments. Meanwhile, Rikku removed the chopstick on her long, blonde hair which serves as her hair accessory.

"What's a chopstick doing in your hair?" asked Gippal

"Don't you know? There are chopsticks that are used not only as eating utensil but also as a hair accessory. I love using chopsticks on my hair."

"Uhm…but where's the other half of your chopstick?"

"It's in my drawer. Wait, wait a minute! Why all of a sudden you become interested in chopsticks? Are you planning to give Chloe this? I don't think a pair is enough to tie her long thick brown curly hair…" Rikku replied sarcastically as she brushes her hair

"Why are you always mad at her? Did she hurt you or something?"

"Nothing. It's just that I hate her attitude. And I hate her boyfriend either."

"What are you trying to say?"

"Get out of my room if you're just here to defend that bitch!"

"Stop calling her a bitch, you annoying brat!"

"Stop calling me an annoying brat then!" Rikku answered back

Gippal walked out of Rikku's room after that. He stopped walking when he suddenly remembered Rikku's looks when she lets her hair down a while ago. He didn't think that Rikku was very beautiful.

"Oh crap! Why am I thinking of her?" Gippal murmured as he walks back in his room.

Although the bride and the groom both hated the idea of getting married, Cid and Rayjah were very busy with the preparations on the wedding through the help of their closest friends. The invitations were all done and the wedding was set six weeks from now. The wedding gown and wedding veil which Rikku will use is now ready. Today, Rikku will wear the gown to see if it will be fit enough for her.

After several minutes, Rikku and Rayjah came out of the room. Cid smiled as he sees his very lovely daughter in a wedding gown.

"RIKKU! YOU'RE SO DAMN GORGEOUS!" Cid yelled as he hugged his daughter

"Yeah right…" Rikku mumbled

Much to her surprise, Gippal was there outside the door, staring at her. Rikku raised her eyebrow as a sign of questioning his presence. Gippal said something Rikku couldn't hear so she decided to read his lips.

"Lyh fa dymg yvdan drec?" asked Gippal (Can we talk after this?)

"Oayr cina...frana?" Rikku replied silently so that only Gippal could understand her (Yeah sure…where?)

"Rikku? Who are you talking to?" asked Cid when he noticed that Rikku was looking outside. Rayjah take a peek outside and she saw Gippal.

"Oh hello my dear son…" Rayjah greeted

"Hmm…looks like my bride is very beautiful in that wedding dress it suits her well." said Gippal, going along with the flow of the current scene.

Rikku blushed "Really? Gee…thanks."

"Actually I wasn't here just to stare forever at her. I'm here because we need to talk about something. Lovers' talk, you know…"

"Lovers' talk huh? Very well then…allow me to show what does lovers' talk really means when we talk after I change…" Rikku muttered "Yeah…right…lovers' talk. I think this gown is fine. There's nothing wrong with this. If you don't mind, I'll go change back."

Rayjah smiled "It's okay. I'm glad that the gown fits you well."

As they wait for Rikku to change back to her normal clothing, Gippal couldn't help but think of Rikku's appearance when she wore her wedding gown.

_She was indeed damn gorgeous. A very lovely bride. I wonder if she'll be really my bride. _

_Wait, wait, wait a minute! Why am I thinking of her again? _

_Chloe will be mad when she founds out that I'm thinking of Rikku…_

"Ouch!" Gippal said suddenly. Rikku hit his head using a rolled newspaper.

"I think you're going to stare off at nowhere for forever, _honey_!" said Rikku

"What are you doing you two?" asked Cid

"Uhm...let's just say we're exchanging sweet nothings. Caa oui mydan!" said Gippal as he grabs Rikku's hand and starts to walk out of the scene. (See you later!)

When they were a bit far from the room where they were before, Gippal lets go of Rikku's hand

"Gippal…" Rikku muttered

"Yes?"

Rikku suddenly punched Gippal on his face. Gippal was surprised by Rikku's action so he stopped walking to ask Rikku and then touched his swelling cheek.

"WHAT DO YOU THINK YOU'RE DOING!" yelled Gippal

Rikku chuckled "Let's just say I'm teaching what the meaning of lovers' talk is."

Gippal rolled his eye "Oh that excuse I used earlier. Sorry if I had to say that. I can't think of a better excuse. I can't tell them that we'll talk about a marriage deal. Our plan will be ruined if they found out about that.''

"Marriage deal?"

"Follow me." replied Gippal

Rikku shrugged and followed Gippal until they reach the basement of Home. They sat down on the cold floor and Gippal showed a paper to Rikku. Rikku read it silently.

"What entered your mind to think of such thing, Gippal?" asked Rikku as she hands back the paper to him

"If we can't stop those crazy parents of ours, we'll go with the flow if that's necessary…"

"WHAT? WE'RE GETTING MARRIED?" yelled Rikku "NO WA-!" Gippal covered Rikku's mouth with his hand, his face getting closer to hers.

_What do you think you're doing, Gippal?_

"Quit yelling, Rikku! If you keep on yelling, they might discover this!" Gippal whispered to her left ear, showing the paper to her.

"But…about the divorce…"

"That will be easy. I have already talked to my friend who is a lawyer. He will be in charge of our divorce papers a year after our marriage. Don't worry, I told him not to reveal the secret about this deal with our parents."

"But…can you trust him? I mean…are you really sure that he will really keep this secret from our parents?"

"Yeah, I'm sure of it. Now, will you sign this?" asked Gippal

"Give me a few minutes to think of this." replied Rikku.

Gippal nodded. After about ten minutes of thinking, Rikku gets a black sign pen from the pocket of her denim pants and signs the paper. Gippal offered his left hand to Rikku. Rikku extends her right hand to shake hands. They both smiled.

"DEAL!" they said in perfect unison

**CHAPTER TWO DONE! To be continued…**

**Master Thief/Shizuku06/heavenlystrike**


	3. Unexpected Question

**CHAPTER THREE-UNEXPECTED QUESTION**

**A/N: Thanks for your reviews. Enough said. I hope you forgive me if they're out of characters. It's really necessary, you know. LOL…**

**I made an important announcement just recently. Please visit my online journal (look at my homepage part in my profile) and when you're there look for the entry entitled "Goodbye?" ok?**

After the two had closed the "marriage deal", Gippal went to Bevelle to visit Chloe to inform her of his plans regarding the marriage that was arranged both by Rayjah and Cid, the unlikely couple's parents. He expected that Chloe would freak out when she finds out but he was prepared for that.

Chloe sat down on the nearby couch and lit a cigarette. She then faced Gippal angrily "Tell me the truth, Gippal! Are you falling for her that's why you agreed with those crazy parents of yours to marry her?"

"Chloe…what the heck are you thinking? There's no way I'll fall for that brat!"

"LIAR!"

"I'm not lying to you, Chloe! I'm telling you the truth."

"Oh, is that true, sweetie? If you're not falling for her, how come you now wanted to marry her? I thought you hate the idea."

Gippal hugged Chloe and kissed her on forehead "I'm sorry if I had decided on this thing. You see, our parents are still insisting on our marriage. If I can't stop their craziness, we'll have to go with the flow."

"What about our relationship then? You'll end it just like that?"

"Yeah because most people will find out that we're married and they might accuse me of infidelity. But worry not sweetie. I will divorce her after a year. Rikku and I had already talked about it and she agreed."

"But I thought you'll go with the flow? What will you tell those people when you divorce?"

"Simple. I'll tell them that we can't make things work out between the two of us. But I'll get in touch with you every once in a while so that I could prove to you that I'm not falling or her."

"Oh! But what if you've fallen for her, what would you do?" asked Chloe

Gippal was unable to answer her question. _Yeah…what if I had fallen for her? That would be very difficult for me to divorce her! And it will ruin our marriage agreement…_

_I hope that will not happen. We promised each other that we'll not let our feelings get in our way. We also promised that we'll not fall for each other…_

"Gippal, is everything alright? You become too quiet after I had asked that question…" said Chloe as she puts down her cigarette

"Huh? Nothing! Oh well…I need to go. See you soon." and for the last time, he kissed her lips. It was a long and deep kiss.

* * *

Rikku was busy reading when her mobile phone rang. She puts down her book on the table and grabs the phone to answer the call. 

"Hello? Rikku here." answered Rikku

"Hi!" the voice on the other line said

Rikku blushed when she heard the familiar voice "Alexander?"

"Surprised?"

"Yeah…I think."

"Did I disturb you or something?"

"To tell you the truth, yes, you disturbed me."

Alexander sighed "When will I be able to talk to you without distractions?"

Rikku rolled her eyes "What do you want?"

"Actually…I called you because I'd like to ask you if…if I could court you once again."

"That again? You're not that persistent, aren't you?"

"Can I now court you?"

Rikku remained silent. The caller on the other line was surprised. He thought that Rikku got mad again because of his persistence to court her. "Rikku?"

"Huh? Oh well good thing you called. Actually I wanna ask you something."

"What is it?"

"Can we…talk?"

* * *

"So this is the restaurant Alexander's talking about…" Rikku mumbled "Am I ready to tell him the 'hurtful truth'? Should I tell him? But…what if he uses that information to ruin our plans?" 

Rikku, although nervous, decided to enter the establishment so that it would end very quickly. Although hesitant, she needs to tell it to Alexander about the arrangement. She was welcomed by a waiter and asked her if she got any reservations. She smiled.

"Yeah, actually I have a company. Have you seen a guy with brown hair wearing eye glasses?" asked Rikku

"Yes, Ma'am…I've seen him. If you don't mind, Ma'am, allow me to accompany you to his table." the waiter replied politely as he accompanies Rikku to Alexander's table. When they reached the table, Alexander stood up and greeted Rikku. Again, she smiled and said hi. The waiter left the two to get the menu for them.

After they got the menu and took orders, Alexander grabbed this chance to talk to Rikku.

"You know, you've grown more beautiful ever since we've last met."

Rikku suddenly blushed "Really? Thanks then."

"Now that we've finished college…can I now court you? You see…I've been waiting for years just to be your boyfriend but you always turn me down."

"Actually…"

A waiter came, along with two bowls of mushroom soup. He carefully laid them down on the table. When he left, the two started eating their soups.

Rikku wiped her mouth with the white napkin. She faced him and started talking.

"About your question…" said Rikku "Sorry, Alexander, but for the 10th time, I'll have to turn you down. Again, I'm sorry."

He wanted to yell but since they're inside a restaurant, Alexander controlled his shock. Without hesitation, Alexander held Rikku's hands. "Tell me, Rikku…why do you have to turn me down again? You promised to me that you'll give me a chance after college and I waited for that moment to come. Why, Rikku?"

"Because...because…uhm…to tell you the truth, I'm getting married."

"Huh? Married? I thought you don't have a boyfriend! Tell me! Who are you going to marry?" asked Alexander

Someone suddenly placed his hand on Rikku's shoulder which startled her "I'm the lucky guy." It was Gippal. "Surprised?"

Rikku looked up. She was very surprised to see her 'fiancé' "Gippal?"

"Oh so you're the one called Alexander. Nice to meet you." said Gippal as he extends his right arm to shake hands with him.

Reluctant, Alexander slowly extended his left arm to shake hands with him "You're very famous during our staying years in the university. But how come I don't have any idea about your relationship? I thought Chloe is your girlfriend."

Rikku stood up and glared at Gippal "What the heck are you doing here?" she whispered

"I'll tell you later. Let's focus first on this mess first" said Gippal in a very low voice "We've been in this relationship even before we've entered college. You see, my girl is very serious when it comes to her studies and that's why we have no time for each other. But we go out on dates during the vacation period. Rikku told me everything about you. And I apologize if she didn't tell you about this. Rikku's too focused on her degree to talk about it. About Chloe? Oh well, it was nothing. We're just close friend. And I almost forgot, we need to go back."

Rikku looked up at Gippal again "What?"

"I see. Very well then, congratulations. I'm happy for both of you. If you need to go, that's fine by me. I'll take care of the bills." said Alexander

"Thank you." replied Rikku

Gippal and Rikku walked out of the restaurant together, leaving Alexander behind. They decided to go to the Luca Dock to take a ride back to the island. After several minutes of walking, Rikku suddenly spoke.

"You're unfair."

Gippal lets go of Rikku "Huh? What do you mean I'm unfair?"

"You let Chloe know about the arrangement but how about Alexander? You know that I have feelings for him. And that arrangement is the reason why we talked. I wanted to tell him that I'm getting married in an arrangement basis and that we'll divorce a year after so that he could have a chance but what did you do? What's wrong if I tell it to him, Gippal?"

Gippal held Rikku's shoulders "Rikku! Don't be so stupid! We can't let too many people know that our wedding is just a way of getting along with our parents! It'll be very risky for us!"

"But still…"

"Enough! Just remember that we need to do this because we can't stop those crazy parents of us. Don't lose hope. You can be with him soon. A year's will pass by quickly." and he smiled at her.

Rikku sighed and continued to walk. She hoped that there will be a way to tell Alexander about the arrangement.

* * *

Six weeks later, the most awaited day finally came, well, at least to the crowd, the media, and the crazy parents of the unlikely couple. The media were insisting to broadcast the wedding ceremony but Rayjah turned down the request for she wanted the wedding to be a private affair. She told them that they could interview them right away during the reception at the Amoureux de Vous Restaurant in Macalania. Although disappointed, the media waited for the ceremony to finish. 

The one who officiated the wedding is a monk from Bevelle Temple. During the ceremony, Rikku couldn't help but hold Gippal's hand because of nervousness. Gippal, who seemed to know what Rikku feels, lets her hold his hand. Rikku smiled and whispered something to him.

"Dryhg oui…" (Thank you…)

There are times that Gippal would take a look on his bride. She looks more beautiful than the last time he saw her wearing that wedding dress. Her long hair was made into a bun and clipped it with a beautiful hair accessory Rayjah gave. She wore the diamond necklace that her late Mom gave to her as a birthday gift when she was 5 years old. Rikku noticed that Gippal was staring at her for a long time so she called him. Gippal was surprised and then looked back at the officiating monk.

"Is there something wrong with my look, Gippal?" Rikku asked in a very low voice

"Huh? No. There's nothing wrong."

"But how come you're staring at me a while ago?"

Gippal smiled at her "You're very lovely today. I can't help but look at you."

Rikku didn't speak anymore. She just focused on the ceremony. She also removed her hand on Gippal's hand. Gippal sighed. He liked Rikku's soft hand. He feels like he was touched by an angel. Gippal just ignored the thoughts that were entering his mind.

It was the time to wear the symbol of their "eternal love" to each other-the wedding rings. The ring bearer, the three year old Vidina, son of Wakka and Lulu, is walking towards the altar to give the wedding rings to the "couple".

Gippal gets one of the rings and wears it to Rikku's left ring finger and said the wedding vow, although it was against his will. It was part of their plan as a "fake couple" so whether they like it or not, they have to do that.

"Rikku, wear this ring as a sign of my eternal love to you; in sickness and in health; for richer or for poorer; 'till death do us part."

_You could be a good actor, Gippal. _Rikku said to herself. She also did the same thing to him-wore the ring to Gippal and said the wedding vow as well. After that, the monk pronounced them as husband and wife and that Gippal can now kiss the bride-which is the most exciting part for most of the people.

"Gippal…" Rikku muttered

"Trust me on this" and he winked at her. He lifted the wedding veil to reveal the beauty of his bride. He stared at her for a few minutes before he leaned to kiss her. It wasn't exactly a kiss, Gippal just pecked her lips. It was her first kiss. And that first kiss came from Gippal, her "husband".

Everyone clapped particularly the couple's crazy parents. They were very happy now that their long time arrangement finally came to life. Most of the couple's relatives approached the bride and the groom to take some pictures before they have the wedding reception on the Amoureux de Vous restaurant in Macalania.

* * *

Meanwhile, at the reception… 

They ate, drank, dance, and sing to their hearts' content. Most of the people were celebrating except for the newlyweds. They just remained on their seat, eating. Rayjah asked them to dance but they got no chance to refuse for the music started to play. It was a sweet dance. Rikku and Gippal aren't used to this but they needed to act like a normal newlyweds.

"Do we really have to do this, Gippal?" whispered Rikku

"Just stay calm, everything will be fine." and he winked at her

_He was just calm. He was at ease holding my hand and my waist as if we're really a couple. Why do I feel like I'm being electrified every time he holds me? I wanted to let go but someone inside me was insisting not to let go…as if…I'm enjoying this moment between the two of us…_

While they're dancing, the media came, putting Rikku back to her senses. The couple walked back to their seats and smiled at the media who were busy taking pictures and videos of them. Some of the reporters asked questions regarding their relationship. They answered them with smile on their faces. The couple practiced this moment for three weeks. Meanwhile, Shelinda, a reporter from Luca News, asked an unexpected question:

"When are you going to have a baby?"

Rikku almost blew the wine she drank in the reporter's face. They didn't expect that such question will be thrown at them.

**TBC…**

**Master Thief/heavenlystrike/shizuku06 **


	4. Honeymoon

**CHAPTER FOUR-HONEYMOON**

**A/N: -hugs everyone- Thanks!**

"Miss Rikku? Is everything alright?" asked Shelinda when she noticed the surprised look on the bride's face. A few seconds ago, this reporter asked Rikku about having a baby.

"Huh? Of course I'm ok." and Rikku showed a fake smile at them. What they don't know is that Rikku stomped Gippal's right foot. Gippal almost yelled in pain. To avoid a scandal, Rikku quickly held his knee-a sign that she needs Gippal's help in answering this unexpected question.

"Oh…about your question earlier…actually, we haven't discussed anything about having a child but as much as possible we wanted to enjoy each other's company first before raising a child. You see, we barely had much time for each other during our college years so we're kind of making up for the lost chances to be with each other. If you don't mind, please excuse us. My wife doesn't feel well. Sorry if I disappointed you people…" and the couple stood up, leaving the people, including the parents of the couple.

Actually, Rikku is very fine. She just wanted to avoid the media because of the question thrown at them earlier at the reception. Thanks to Gippal, they were able to make a perfect excuse to leave the restaurant. They're now going to their "honeymoon" in a resort in Besaid. They rode on an airship which was actually given by Cid as a wedding gift aside from a house he bought in Luca. Buddy is the one who's piloting the airship which was named Mujanc' Wabbameh (Lovers' Zeppelin).

Meanwhile, in the cabin…

"To tell you the truth, I hate the name of this airship. It stinks." said Rikku as she brushes her long blonde hair.

"Ah…your way of thinking is very different from the way Cid thinks. But that doesn't mean I'll stop calling you Cid's girl. It's much better than your name." and he grinned at her.

Rikku rolled her eyes "How many times do I have to tell you not to call me Cid's girl? I have a name! If you don't know my real name, then I volunteer to have my name tattooed in your hand so that it'll remind you that Rikku's my name and not Cid's girl, ok?"

"Your benevolence is admirable but never mind, cutie. After all, I'll never cease on calling you Cid's girl."

Rikku almost punched Gippal's face because of annoyance. To control her rage, she lied down on a futon to take some rest. Gippal, however, went to the bar to have some drink. He offered her a drink but she refused.

"Thanks but I don't drink when a jerk is around…" she said sarcastically

Gippal stood up "Who do you call a jerk?"

"You…who else do you think? You're the only jerk in this airship anyways."

"YOU'RE REALLY ANNOYING, YOU KNOW?" yelled Gippal

Rikku stood up and stuck her tongue up at him "I was born to annoy you, my dear."

Gippal just ignored Rikku and continued drinking his whiskey. Buddy came and told them that they've just landed on Besaid Island.

"Really, Buddy? Thanks!" and she happily headed to the elevator to go to the Bridge of the airship. Gippal immediately followed her.

* * *

"Ah! Besaid is really a wonderful place to stay!" said Rikku, stretching out her arms as they walk towards the shore. Gippal just followed him, two suitcases in his hands. Buddy already left them and promised that he'll pick them up after three weeks.

"Would you mind carrying your suitcase, Cid's girl? It seems like your entire room is here inside. It's so damn heavy. Have a heart, cutie."

Rikku stopped walking and turned around to face Gippal "Oh sure just quit calling me Cid's girl and I'll be more than willing to carry MY suitcase." and she continued walking

Gippal sighed "You drive a hard bargain, cutie."

Rikku faced him again "And another condition, stop calling me cutie."

"Well, it's as if you're asking me to kiss you."

"What the hell are you talking about? Me? Will ask you to kiss me? You wish…"

"Just when are you going to stop exchanging sweet nothings?" it was Rin "Hi Rikku. Hi Gippal. Welcome to my resort. Cid told me that you're going to have your honeymoon here."

Rikku smiled at Rin "Actually, Mr. Rin we're not exactly on a honeymoon."

"Huh? What are you talking about, Princess?"

"We're only husband and-oof!" Gippal covered Rikku's mouth. She was about to reveal to him their fake marriage.

"Just ignore my lady love here. I think she's just tired. Anyways, where's our home for the next three weeks?" asked Gippal

"Follow me."

* * *

"Dryhgc oui." said Rikku (Thank you.)

"Hu bnupmas, bad. Zicd ahzuo ouin ruhaosuuh. Ymsucd vunkud, E ryja yh esbundyhd syddan du dyga lyna uv. Ev oui haat ramb, zicd lymm sa un so yccecdyhd. Kuutpoa, gettuc!" replied Rin as he gives the keys of the lodge (No problem, pet. Just enjoy your honeymoon. Almost forgot, I have an important matter to take care of. If you need help, just call me or my assistant. Goodbye, kiddos!) Rin left, leaving the newlyweds behind.

"So, are we going to make a baby?" Gippal grinned

"HUD UHMO OUI'NA Y SAYHEA…PID OUI'NA YMCU Y BANJAND!" and Rikku attempted to punch Gippal's face (NOT ONLY YOU'RE A MEANIE...BUT YOU'RE ALSO A PERVERT!)

But Gippal was able to hold Rikku's hand "Do that again and I'll kiss you."

Rikku pushed his hand away "What a corny threat."

"Where are you going?" asked Gippal

"Obviously, I'm going to my room to sleep. Why?"

"You'll not get your rest until you've cooked our dinner."

Rikku puts down her suitcase on the floor and faced Gippal, with an eyebrow raised "Excuse me? What did you say?"

"I said you're not going to sleep. Cook our dinner first, ok?"

"I don't take orders from a jerk, Gippal so cook your own dinner." and she opened the door to bring her suitcase inside the room.

"It's a wife's duty to serve her husband, right? So after you put your suitcase inside your room, start cooking our dinner." Gippal replied, with a big smile on his face

"We're not exactly husband and wife, Gippal. If you want to eat, serve yourself!" For the second time, she attempted to enter her room and she succeeded. She locked the room so that he'll not be able to enter.

"Rikku…"

"WHAT IS IT THIS TIME?"

"I'm really hungry…if I don't eat…I'll die you know. You don't want to be a widow two hours after you've married me, right?"

"Come on, Gippal…you're just pretending to be dying. I'll. Not. Give. In. Now quit annoying me and let me sleep!"

Gippal sighed "Oh ok. But then if you don't serve me anything for dinner…I'll tell Cid that you only married me on a deal basis."

Rikku unlocked the door and glared at him "For your information you're the one who thought of that plan, Gippal."

"Well, if I show the paper to my mom and your dad, I'll tell them that you're the one who typed it down…not me. I'm sure they'll believe me."

"Are you blackmailing me?"

"You can say that, sweetie."

Rikku gets out of her room furiously and heads for the kitchen to prepare dinner. Gippal went to the living room to carry his suitcase to his room.

While eating roasted beef with steamed vegetables, Gippal tried to talk to Rikku but she was ignoring him.

"Are you mad?"

Rikku puts down her knife and fork and looked at him "Do you think I'm happy for what you've done to me? By now, I should be in my peaceful slumber but here I am…eating dinner with a jerk. I now regret my decision on marrying you on a contract basis…"

Gippal grinned "Aww come on Cid's girl I know you're so damn in love with me."

Rikku guffawed "What did you say? Me? In love with you? Are you out of your mind? Eh ouin tnaysc! So, better stop hallucinating!" (In your dreams!)

Gippal stood up and drank the remaining water on his glass and putted it down on the table. He looked at her and said "I better go get myself some sleep now, cutie! Be sure to wash all the dishes before you sleep. It's your duty to do ALL the household chores! Good night, _honey_!"

Rikku placed her right hand on her cheek and rolled her eyes "Oh well! After all, I hadone yearof _excitement_!" she said to herself sarcastically. She stood up to start clearing up the dining table.

* * *

The next morning, Gippal and Rikku went outside to stay in the beach until afternoon. Rikku was in the wooden bench situated in front of the beach, reading a book while her "husband" was in the shore, enjoying the very relaxing view when a brown-haired woman with blue eyes wearing a two piece approached him, her fingers caressing Gippal's chest. Obviously, she was flirting with the Al Bhed guy.

"Hey, handsome…care to go for a walk?"

Gippal didn't bother looking at the woman flirting at him "I'd love to, dear, but I'm afraid I can't go with you."

She pressed her body on his so that she could be closer to him "But why? No one rejects me. I'm so beautiful and sexy…and…guys couldn't resist getting their hands on me. I have such a wonderful charisma."

"Well, this will be the first time that someone will reject you, lady. I have a wife over there…" pointing in the direction of Rikku "…and I love her so much I couldn't cheat on her. If I were you, I'll better take my leave and flirt with a better guy…with no strings attached to be exact." Gippal said and he left the flirtatious girl behind.

"Hey, Rikku…you still busy reading?" asked Gippal as he sat down beside her

"Obviously…now would you please go somewhere else? Oh and I'm gonna tell you that you could win an acting award for what you've done earlier." She was referring to Gippal's act when a woman flirted with him.

He placed his arm around her shoulder and grinned "Are you jealous, sweetie?"

Rikku huffed then let out a devilish smile "You're hallucinating again, _honey_. You're just hungry you better eat now, Gippal. It's past lunchtime."

"I'll only eat if you're coming with me."

Rikku rolled her eyes in annoyance "What do you think of yourself? A baby who needs a nanny to be fed? My dear, I'll eat later, 'kay? Eat alone!"

"Please? I could use some company right now!" and Gippal grinned at her

"All right…you said it!"

* * *

"Great. I should have thought of that the moment you begged me to join you for lunch. I was such a dumb person! My professor in college would kill me if he finds out that I've fallen for such a stupid trick! Satisfied?" said Rikku sarcastically as she grabs another bite of her tuna sandwich.

Gippal chuckled "Looks like you'll be my slave for the next twelve months. Better be good, honey or else…"

Rikku looked outside to take a good look at the view of the beach "You're evil…I love you." She said sarcastically "You're good at tricking people. Now I have a phobia all because of your trickery. I wonder what'll happen the next time I fall for your tricks."

"Maybe you'll end up in my arms…" he said, grinning at her. Rikku ignored the particular remark and continued eating her sandwich.

Silence…

Gippal felt uneasy. He hates it when his companion is not comfortable with him. He immediately opened his mouth to talk to Rikku, who was still busy eating her sandwich.

"Are you mad? Fine, I'll pay the bills so that you'll not be mad at me anymore!"

"I'm not mad at you, Gippal."

"Then why did you become so quiet? Did I say something that offended you?"

Rikku sighed "Gippal…will you mind your own business, please? I feel awfully terrible right now. Just do whatever you want."

"Rikku…"

"E dumt oui pavuna...seht ouin ufh picehacc!" Rikku replied angrily (I told you before...mind your own business!) and then took a sip of her mango shake.

A waiter approached them and handed the bill. Gippal gets his wallet from the pocket in his shorts. He gets 500 Gil from his wallet and placed the bill on the small tray where the bill was.

"E'mm ku du dra paylr du ihfeht. Fyhhy zueh sa?" asked Gippal, smiling at her (I'll go to the beach to unwind. Wanna join me?)

Rikku looked up to him "Cina...fro hud?" (Sure...why not?)

Gippal placed his right arm on Rikku's shoulder and they walked together out of the restaurant. Rikku doesn't seem to mind if Gippal's arm was there. In fact, she liked it. At least, it'll not be obvious to everyone that they were only acting as husband and wife.

"The beach is really beautiful, isn't it?" asked Gippal

"Yes…you're right once in a while."

The two shared a hearty laugh. They walked together for hours, talked, ate ice cream, and watched the sunset. They were sitting in a wooden bench, chitchatting when someone suddenly spoke.

"How sweet…"

They both looked up to see who it was. It was Chloe, wearing a black shirt and a mini skirt. Gippal greeted her whereas Rikku showed a weak smile at the brown-haired woman.

On impulse, she bent down to kiss Gippal on the lips.

**TBC…**

**Master Thief/Shizuku06/heavenlystrike**


	5. I Wanna be with your Spouse

**CHAPTER FIVE-I WANNA BE WITH YOUR SPOUSE**

**A/N: THANK YOU FOR ALL OF YOUR REVIEWS! THANK YOU THANKS DRYHG OUI! I really, really appreciate your reviews. They inspired me to write this chapter. Oh and I'm sorry about the scene in the previous chapter. It was actually Chloe who kissed Gippal (The nerve! XD)**

Rikku cleared her throat to grab the attention of Chloe and Gippal who were still busy kissing. Gippal gently pushed Chloe away and faced his "wife".

"Oh I'm sorry, Rikku. By the way, this is Chloe. She's my girlfriend." He then faced his girlfriend. "And honey, this is Rikku. I don't know if you've stumbled upon each other in the university though."

"Actually, I've heard a lot about her. I'm pleased to meet you, Miss Chloe."

"It's always a pleasure to meet you, Rikku…the Al Bhed whiz kid."

"Not really." She said humbly. "Gippal, E ryja du ku huf. E haat du tu cusadrehk. Caa oui mydan." (I have to go now. I need to do something. See you later.)

"Ur, E caa. Caa oui mydan, duu. Yht tuh'd vunkad du luug uin tehhan!" said Gippal (Oh, I see. See you later, too. And don't forget to cook our dinner!)

"Sayhea!" (Meanie!) Rikku faced Chloe and smiled "I'm sorry but I need to go."

Chloe flipped her hair "It's ok. Go ahead."

_Bitch! _Rikku and Chloe both thought at the same time.

Chloe sat down beside her "I can't believe that you'll be that close in just a few hours. I'm beginning to feel jealous. You might leave me because of her."

Gippal putted his hand on her waist and kissed her "There's no reason to be jealous, sweetie. After all, you still have my heart."

"Really? Then why are you so sweet towards her?"

Gippal chuckled "Ah…so that was the reason why you're jealous? You know, we're just acting. No worries."

"Acting, huh? It doesn't look like you two were just acting."

"What do you mean, honey? I told you we're just acting."

Chloe rested her head on Gippal's muscular chest "Are you mad? I'm sorry, Gippal. You know that I love you so much and I don't know what to do if someone will take you away from me. I love you, Gippal and you're the best thing that happened to my life."

Gippal kissed her head "You can be quite dramatic at times. I told you before, right? I love you and my heart belongs to you and no one can take it away from you."

_Good. So, I'm still his babe after all. Screw you, bitch! Take him away from me and I'll kill you. Until you're his wife, we're enemies.

* * *

_

_Jealous? No…I'm not jealous. Yeah, I'm telling you the truth. Why should I be jealous? I don't like him anyways. In fact, they are a perfect couple. A jerk plus a bitch equals a perfect couple. Much more perfect than Romeo and Juliet. What a bitch. She thinks I'm taking her beloved away from her. _

_But…but…why do I feel weird? I feel like I wanted to pull that bitch's hair for kissing Gippal right in front of me. Am I jealous after all? No…uh…yes…well…_

_Ah whatever! I'll let those fools do what they want. Besides, I don't have the right to be jealous. And I only love Alexander. Him only and no one else! I don't care if those fools will make love in front of me! I. DON'T. CARE. I told you, I'm not interested in him! I'm not jealous either!_

"Hi, Rikku!"

Rikku looked up. When she saw the familiar face, she almost screamed in happiness "Oh hi, Alex! What brings you here? I thought you're at Djose for business reasons."

"Actually, I'm done doing my business there so I decided to have a well-deserved vacation. So…where's your husband? I thought he was with you."

"Huh? Well…he was…uhm...he's in the beach."

"I see. You want ice cream? I'm sure your husband wouldn't get mad at me."

Rikku smiled "It'll not hurt if I grab another ice cream, right?" _Great! We're now even! I'm with my real love. _

They were staying under the palm tree, talking, while eating their ice creams.

"So…how's your marriage? Did everything go fine?" asked Alexander.

_Ah! Next question please! Can we talk about something else, please? I'll only talk about marriage when you're my husband! _Rikku said to herself "Huh? Well…it turned out fine. I'm so happy because after a long time…we're married!" _Duh! I can't believe I said such things! I think I'm beginning to sound like Gippal! _

"You're very happy. I'm glad to hear that, Rikku. Gippal is one lucky man. He's got a woman who'll love him and make him happy. Don't worry about me, Rikku. I guess we're not meant for each other after all."

_Ah! Quit mentioning that, Alex! Gippal is no lucky man! You're the real lucky man because you're the one I love. My marriage with that jerk is only on a contract basis! Just wait for a year and I'll be yours!_

_Wait, speaking of contract, now that he's here, I might as well tell him everything about this charade! Yes! I'll tell him and he'll have a chance to court me! Yes! You're one heck genius woman, Rikku! Only you can think of such things!_

_So how do I begin…uh…right! I know!_

_Come on, Rikku! Tell him now before it's too late!_

_This is a lucky day!_

"Rikku, is everything alright?" asked Alexander

Rikku blinked "Ah yes but of course!" She cleared her throat before speaking again "Good thing you're here, Alex. I have something to tell you. This was the thing I was supposed to tell you when we last met."

"What is it then?"

"Uhm…you know…my marriage is…" she stopped in the mid-sentence because her mobile phone rang. "Excuse me for a while, ok?" she said and walked away from him. _KNAYD DESEHK, CDIBET LYMMAN! ZICD FRAH E FYC YPUID DU DAMM RES! (GREAT TIMING, STUPID CALLER! JUST WHEN I WAS ABOUT TO TELL HIM!) _She pressed the "Answer" button to answer the call. "Hello? Rikku here."

"Miss Rikku? I am the receptionist of Besaid Resort. I called you because you got a phone call. It's from someone called Cid."

_Screw you, Pops! _"I see. Please tell him I'll be there. Thanks for informing me." Rikku ended the call by pressing the "End" button and kept her phone in the pocket of her shorts. _Ugh! What is the reason why he called? I was interrupted again! _She quickly went back to Alexander who was busy reading messages from his mobile phone. "Alex, I'm sorry but I need to go back to our cottage. I got an important call and it mustn't be ignored. Thanks for the ice cream by the way."

Alexander scratched his head "Oh, I see. But what about the thing you wanted to say?"

"Huh? Uhm…well… please forget about it, ok? See you soon! Bye!" and Rikku ran away from him to return to their cottage immediately. _If not for the call, I was able to tell him about that fake marriage of mine!_

When she finally came to the office of the resort, Rikku entered the building and went to the reception center. The red-haired receptionist smiled at her. "Uh…you said…I got a phone call."

"Yes, Ma'am, a man named Cid called. You want to use our phone or direct the call to the phone in your cottage?"

"Since I'm here, I might as well use your phone." said Rikku. The receptionist grabbed the receiver and gave it to the Al Bhed girl "Hello?"

"Ah…I'm glad you're finally there. Did I interrupt something, honey?"

"Quit insinuating, Pops. Just tell me the reason why you called."

"I just wanted to check on you. How's Gippal? Are you enjoying your honeymoon?"

"You called JUST to check on me? Pops, you don't need to worry about me because I'm no longer a kid. About Gippal…well…he's still a human. And please…I'm _enjoying _my honeymoon. Thank you very much for asking, Pops."

"Good to hear that, my dear daughter. I'm glad that you're finally married! The moment we told you that you and Gippal have to get married, you went amok! May I know the reason why the sudden change of mind?"

_What if I tell you that we married not because we fell in love with each other but because you and Lady Rayjah are forcing us? _"Let's just say at that time we're surprised by your decision. That's all."

"I see. So, are you starting to make a baby?"

_Ugh! I think he was Gippal's father and NOT my father. He's a perverted freak as well. _Rikku rolled her eyes in annoyance "You should start cleaning your ears, Pops. Remember what my "dear husband" said? We wanted to enjoy each other's company first!" _I am INDEED beginning to sound like Gippal._

Cid guffawed "Sorry about that. I think I was just too happy to remember what your husband said. Anyways, I'm glad to hear that you two are fine. See you after three weeks. Kuutpoa!" (Goodbye!)

Rikku returned the receiver to its cradle. She thanked the receptionist and went back to her cottage to start cooking their dinner. _If Gippal asked me to cook because he's going to invited that bitch for dinner, I swear I'll throw shurikens straight at her face.

* * *

_

"Oh…I didn't notice that it's already nine in the evening. Let's eat dinner in that seafood restaurant." He points in the direction of the said restaurant. "Is it fine by you, Chloe?" asked Gippal as he cuddles his beloved girlfriend.

"Of course, Gippal…it's very fine by me. Let's go before it closes."

"The food here is very delicious. Let's eat here often." said Chloe.

Gippal chuckled "Too bad we only discovered this restaurant just today. We can't risk being seen by others for they know I am married to Rikku. I don't want to be accused of adultery, you know." He noticed that Chloe's smile turned into a frown. "Chloe, I hope you understand my current situation. We can't see each other very often. Until I'm married, we can't do things we usually do before. Don't worry I'll keep in touch with you."

"I…I'm done eating. I'll leave now."

Gippal immediately left 1000 Gil in their table and followed his girlfriend "Wait. I'll take you home. Chloe! Wait!"

"You said you don't want to be seen by others while you're with me. Go ahead. Go back to Rikku. I'm sure she's waiting for you. I'll be waiting for your call. Goodbye."

After Chloe left, Gippal headed back to their cottage to take a rest. _Damn. If not for those crazy parents of ours, my relationship is not suffering. _He opened the door and he was surprised to see Rikku in the living room. "Rikku? You still awake?"

She looked at him "Obviously, I'm still wide awake, waiting for you. Want me to prepare your dinner?"

"I have already eaten dinner a while ago."

Rikku stood up, her right hand on her waist "What? You already ate dinner? You should have told me so that I'll not bother cook dinner!"

"And who told you that you should cook dinner?"

"Wow! Are you suffering from amnesia or something? You told me before I left you two in that bench that I shouldn't forget to cook dinner! You're wasting my time, Gippal! If you don't mind, please tell me if you'll go home late so that I'll not be very worried and I will not bother to cook your dinner as well!" and Rikku walked towards her room. She slammed the door when she entered. Gippal called her but she ignored him.

Gippal slapped his head "Oh no!"

**TBC! Reviews, please! XD**

**Master Thief/Shizuku06/heavenlystrike**


	6. Taming a Tigress

**CHAPTER SIX-CALMING A TIGER**

**A/N: Sorry for the late update. Thanks anyway.**

"Ugh…morning already? I hate mornings!" Rikku said to herself. She covered her face with the blanket to go back to sleep. She suddenly remembered that last night, she had an argument with Gippal. _Maybe he's already hungry. But duh…why should I worry? If he's hungry, he better cook his own breakfast! After what he had done last night…he deserves a punishment!_

At this point, Rikku closed her eyes and tried to go back to sleep. Meanwhile, her husband, Gippal, already woke up. He headed to the kitchen to eat breakfast but much to his dismay, no breakfast was ready in the table. He scratched his head in annoyance and looked for Rikku.

"Hey, Rikku! I thought I told you that breakfast should be ready by the time that I wake up? Come on! Go here and start preparing the breakfast."

But Rikku wasn't there to listen or to prepare the breakfast. "Rikku?" He looked everywhere in the house to look for his "missing" wife but she was nowhere to be found. _Wait…I haven't checked her room. Maybe she was there, still sleeping, I hope so…_

Without a second thought, he went towards the door of Rikku's room. He gently knocked on the door, hoping she will open it. Several seconds later, still, Rikku hasn't come out of her room. Gippal got impatient and started to knock like crazy.

After the nth knock, the door finally opened. Gippal took a deep breath. He was already expecting that she would look grumpy as usual but there was one thing he never expected-a grumpy-looking Al Bhed girl with a dagger on her right hand.

"Wait…wait…wait! Rikku, I…I'm not a burglar so please put down that dagger. I'm here because I was wondering why you haven't prepared the breakfast. I told you before…"

Rikku raised an eyebrow. "Excuse me? Are you asking me to prepare the breakfast?"

"Ah…yes of course. After all, it's your job."

"Uhm…my job?"

"Yes! I told you before right? It's the wife's duty to serve her husband."

"Ok…wait here." And Rikku quickly closed the door. As an "obedient husband", Gippal patiently waited for Rikku to reemerge. After a few minutes, the blonde girl opened the door and she threw 10 daggers which Gippal managed to avoid. If he wasn't alert enough, one or two or even all of them might have hit him.

"RIKKU? What have you done? Why did you throw daggers at me?"

"Why? It's because you're annoying!"

"Annoying? What the hell are you talking about?"

"Remember what you said yesterday before I left? Don't forget to cook our dinner. As your wife, I only did what I think what was needed to be done but what have you done! You ate with that girlfriend of yours last night without even bothering to tell me beforehand that I shouldn't cook because you'll eat outside! I hate wasting time, Gippal. I should have been able to chat with my cousin instead of thinking of what to cook for that blasted dinner!"

Gippal took a deep breath before he spoke. "Was…was that the reason why you did that? You almost killed me! For heaven's sake Rikku, don't be mad at me! Or rather…don't throw daggers at me!"

"Don't be mad…after what have you done! If you're hungry, cook your own breakfast, I'll never ever cook for you again! Now, stay out of my room!" For the second time, Rikku slammed the door in front of Gippal's face. Gippal called her for several times but she was ignoring his calls. Because of this, he decided to have breakfast in the nearby bakeshop.

"Tidus, for heaven's sake, let's go visit Rikku! Her cottage is not that far from here!"

"Yuna, you know, I know, we know that she and her hubby is on a honeymoon! We can't disturb their…uhm…well you know…their sweet moments!'"

Yuna placed her left hand on her waist and glared at her boyfriend. "If you don't want to go, I'll go. Just send me a message if there's an emergency. Bye!" and Yuna left her apartment. _Hmm…I wonder how Rikku is right now. Maybe she's having a hard time. Or maybe not!_

She entered the bakeshop to buy some cookies as present to her younger cousin. As she waits for her order to come, she decided to buy cappuccino and sit down and take a sip. What she didn't know is that she was sitting beside Gippal.

"You're Yuna, I hope." The man beside him said.

Yuna looked at her left to see who talked with her. It was her cousin's husband. "And you're Gippal, if I'm not mistaken. Where's Rikku?"

"Well…we had a fight. She kicked me out of her room and asked me to have breakfast somewhere else."

"Fight? One thing you should avoid as much as possible."

"What do you mean?"

"Rikku may look like a laid back person but on the contrary, she's one heck tough cookie and she's got a short fuse."

"Yeah…she almost killed me. Is there any way to tame that tiger?"

Yuna chuckled. "Hmm…let me think…she won't forgive you easily…unless if it was just a silly fight. I suggest you should let her cool down first. If you know what I mean."

"Miss Yuna?" a waiter called "Here's your order."

The brunette grabbed the box of cookies. "I'm sorry but I have to go now. And some advice, roses are effective to calm her down. See you soon and have a nice day!" and Yuna left the Al Bhed guy behind.

Gippal took a final sip of his coffee. "Roses?"

"YUNIE! I'm glad you've got the chance to visit me! I'm gonna die out here, you know!" and Rikku hugged her cousin so tight Yuna thought she would lose her breath.

"Easy, cousin! You don't have to choke me!"

"So where's You-Know-Who?"

"Uhm…Tidus said he's too lazy so I decided to go alone. By the way, this is for you. Just don't eat too much or else…you're husband won't be willing to be with you tonight."

Rikku suddenly blushed when she heard Yuna's remark. "What the heck are you talking about? We're not sleeping together!"

Yuna giggled. "Don't be mad, tiger. That was just a joke!"

"Yeah…a very offensive joke. You know, I saw him yesterday! The man of my dreams! My true love, Yunie! I'm so happy I saw him."

"Really? And what did he say? Did he already found out that your wedding is just a show?"

"I was about to tell him when my good-for-nothing father called JUST to check on me! He even got the nerve to ask if Gippal and I are already making a baby! What the heck! He destroyed my plans!"

Yuna hugged her cousin. "Don't worry cousin. You and your beloved will be a couple soon…very soon. For the mean time, go with the flow. I know Uncle Cid. His plans shouldn't be destroyed."

"Let's change the topic please." Rikku said as she takes a bite of the chocolate chip cookies Yuna gave her. "So, how's Uncle Braska?"

"He's fine. He said congratulations by the way. If he have time, he said, he will visit you after this…honeymoon."

"Really? That'll be great! Aren't you busy, Yunie?"

She looked at her wristwatch and then quickly shifted her eyes to Rikku. "No…why?"

"Let's go shopping!"

"Welcome to Luca Flower Shop, Sir! All the finest flowers in Spira are all here at a very friendly price." The woman at the flower shop greeted Gippal.

"Do you have roses?" Gippal asked hesitantly. _I can't believe that I'll go as far as Luca just to buy an apology gift to that kid. Am I doing this just for her to forgive me or because of other reasons?_

_Ah whatever!_

"Yes, sir. We have lots of it. Fresh roses to be exact. Here's the catalogue. Take your time, sir." The saleslady said cheerfully and politely as she shows the blonde Al Bhed guy the catalogue of roses. "There's also info about other flowers, sir in case you want to fill the girl's room w/ flowers."

Gippal read the catalogue the woman gave him and listened absentmindedly to her blabbering. While flipping and scanning the pages of the catalogue, a particular page caught his attention. He went back to that page and read the description of that particular flower.

After 2 minutes…

"It seems like you're interested in that flower, Sir. You've been staring at it for about two minutes."

Gippal was snapped back in reality because of what the saleslady have said. "Ah…sorry about that. This flower is really beautiful. Actually, you're right. I am quite interested in this flower. I'm gonna buy it."

"I see. How many, Sir? A dozen?"

Rikku and Gippal's honeymoon pad, 8:30 PM

"Thanks for keeping company for this day, Yunie." Rikku said as she puts down her shopping bags in the floor. "Are you going home?"

"No problem, tiger. Uhm…yeah I'll go home. Talk to you soon! Bye!" after kissing Rikku's left cheek, she bid goodbye again and left the pad. Rikku waved her hand until Yuna is no longer visible in her sight.

"Oh man! I am back to my…_normal_ life!" Rikku said to herself sarcastically. _I wonder where Gippal is. Did he go to the beach this morning and unfortunately he sank and died? _She laughed at that devilish thought of hers. _Ah! Quit thinking of that idiot, Rikku! _Instead of thinking about him the whole night, she grabbed a book from the mini shelf in the living room and started reading.

After two hours of reading, she felt sleepy. Because of that, Rikku decided to call it a day. She placed a bookmark on the page where she stopped reading and closed it. She slowly went to her room and…

"Fryd dra-?" Rikku was shocked at what she saw. (What the-?)

Her room was full of basket of roses with four different colors. But majority of the basket of roses were white-colored. She was mesmerized by the beauty of the roses. She knelt down and picked one of the roses in the nearby basket and smelled it. "It's…so sweet." She stood up and stared at the beautiful view of her room that has turned into a garden of roses. "Who…who did this?" Rikku asked happily.

"Did you like it?" a voice from behind her asked.

Rikku turned around and was surprised to see Gippal. She didn't know what to say and instead she called his name. "Gippal…"

He lowered his head before he spoke. "I…I wanted to say sorry because of what happened. You're right. I should've told you that I will eat dinner outside. I don't know how to express it so I decided to give you flowers."

Rikku showed a smile on her face. "You're forgiven. And I hope you'll not do it again."

"Yeah, promise!"

Once more, Rikku stared at the beautiful flowers. Suddenly, she kissed Gippal on his left cheek which surprised the latter.

"Thanks again. Good night."

He blushed but he didn't let Rikku see it. After he said goodnight to her, he went out of her room. When he closed the door, he touched his cheek where Rikku kissed her a while ago.

_She kissed me?_

**TBC! R & R please!**

**Master Thief/Shizuku06/heavenlystrike**


	7. Am I or Am I Not?

**CHAPTER SEVEN-**

**A/N: Dryghc oui! (",) **

Let's fast forward the timeline of the story a bit…

After three weeks of stay in their 'honeymoon pad', Rikku and Gippal moved in to the house located in Luca that was given to them by their parents. As usual, they decided to sleep in separate rooms. They didn't dare sleep together in the masters' bedroom. The two extra rooms were for guests but they used it because they were only acting as husband and wife. Sometimes Cid or Rayjah would visit them unexpectedly but luckily, they haven't caught the couple emerging from separate rooms.

They've been married for three months. Three months…they did nothing but war, war, and war. The reasons why they argue? Household duties, not coming home on time and don't even bother calling, and sometimes, petty reasons. Not a day would pass by without bickering. It seems like that having arguments is their hobby. Sometimes, the two are in good mood and will not fight.

One day…

"RIKKU!"

Although she was all ears on the music she's listening, the Al Bhed woman was able to hear Gippal's scream. She paused the music and quickly headed to Gippal's room.

"What is it this time, idiot?" Rikku asked angrily.

"I thought you already cleaned the house and changed the bed sheets and the curtains…"

"Well…I already cleaned the house and changed the sheets as what you've asked…or rather ordered me to do! What's the matter?"

"My room…it's still dirty!"

_What a klutz! Does he have that sense called common sense? _Rikku rolled her eyes in annoyance. "Well, for starters, it is stated in our contract that we should not meddle with private matters."

"So! What's that statement got to do with the household chores?"

"Gippal, would you please use your common sense for once in your life? Of course, your room is part of what you call private life!"

"But then…this room is part of _our _house and because I asked you to clean the house, you should clean all the rooms!"

"You are hopeless, Gippal!" and Rikku walked out of his room to get the broom and dustpan to start cleaning her 'husband's' room. Gippal grinned.

"That's good. Very good." He said. "Continue that good job of yours, _honey."_

_Calm down Rikku! Calm down!_ Rikku said to herself. She removed the collected dust under Gippal's table using the broom. The Al Bhed girl noticed that Gippal was fixing himself in front of the mirror. "A-are you leaving?"

"Yes. I'm going to visit Chloe in Bevelle. I haven't visited her last week and I'll make up for that. Do your household duties and be on your guard."

_Her again? Why does he always have to spend time with her? _She thought. "Yes, I will. Am I going to cook your dinner?"

"Can't say if I'll come home early, Rikku. I'll just call you. See you soon." Gippal replied and waved his right hand before he went out of his room. Rikku just nodded and continued cleaning Gippal's room.

After changing the bed sheets and the curtains, the young housewife then decided to organize Gippal's table before mopping the floor. She removed all the things that was laid in the table and placed them down on the floor. She dusted the table and used a furniture polish to smoothen the surface. After that, she arranged Gippal's books then threw the papers that she thought was already garbage. She picked up also some cards which all came from Chloe. Rikku wanted to throw them but she thought that it might be special for her 'husband' so she putted them inside an old shoe box Rikku grabbed from her room to keep them in place. Rikku picked up another card when a picture fell from it. Curious, the Al Bhed woman picked it up. It was a picture of Chloe wearing a boob tube and a denim jacket on top of it and a mini skirt. She checked the back of the picture and noticed that there was a dedication. _It won't hurt if I read this, right?_

_Gippal,_

_Keep this picture as a reminder that I am still the woman in your heart and not that "good-for-nothing" Al Bhed bitch. I love you._

_Chloe _

Rikku almost crumpled the picture in anger. _Good for nothing huh? I already knew from the beginning that you're such an annoying, good-for-nothing bitch! What a plastic person!_ She thought. Although she badly wanted to throw the picture, she laid in on top of the other cards inside the box. She continued cleaning Gippal's room until it was oh-so-sparkling-clean as what her 'husband' wanted.

_Let's see if you will complain after you've seen this very clean room-so clean you could eat the floor._

Rikku rested on the terrace on the second floor of their house that is accessible through the masters' bedroom. She sat down on the chair and took a sip of her fruit shake. She can still remember what she had saw and read in Gippal's room a while ago.

_I can't believe it. It was the first time that I got really mad. Why do I have to be mad at Gippal for spending more time with Chloe rather than with me? I shouldn't demand him to spend more time with me since we're not really husband and wife. We're only married on a contract basis and I still have 9 months left to live with him under the same roof. And about that dedication, am I mad because his girlfriend called me a good-for-nothing bitch? Or am I mad because she was the one Gippal loves?_

_Wait…_

_Why do I feel jealous?_

_Why am I mad at Gippal 'cause of spending more time with Chloe?_

_Am I…_

_Am I falling for Gippal?_

_Am I falling for my fake husband?_

Rikku, although hesitant, still went to Yuna's house in Besaid to ask her advice. _She's the only who can help me. _The blonde Al Bhed woman pressed the button in the doorbell and waited patiently for her cousin to come out.

Yuna, who was cooking in the kitchen, quickly headed to the main door of her house and opened the door to see who the visitor was. The brunette was surprised to see her cousin visiting her. "Oh it's you, Rikku. What a pleasant surprise. Come inside and sit down. Watch TV first if you want. Let me finish cooking first."

Rikku nodded absentmindedly and entered Yuna's house. She sat down on the couch and turned on the TV while Yuna is tending to her cooking. But she had switch channels for several times and still, she couldn't find a good show to watch so she turned the television off and rest. She was checking the entire living room and she noticed a picture. Rikku grabbed the picture frame and stared at it. It was a picture of Yuna and Tidus together. _What a happy couple. _She thought. _I wish me and Gippal were like that, too._ Her eyes widened at what she had thought of. She and Gippal…a happy couple?

"Sorry for leaving you here. I'm sure you're bored already. Here, Rikku. Eat this baked macaroni. What brings you here, by the way?" asked Yuna.

Rikku served herself and ate. She didn't say a word or two because the food is so delicious. "I liked this. You're becoming a good cook, Yunie. I'm sure Tidus will like this."

Yuna chuckled. "Thanks, Rikku. Actually, of all the foods I've cooked for him, it was his most favorite. Now that you're done eating, may I know the reason why you're here? How's your married life?"

The blonde Al Bhed woman stared at the picture again. "Yunie…what you're asking me…that is the reason why I'm here in your house."

"Huh? What do you mean?"

"I think I'm falling for her, Yunie."

Yuna blinked. "Huh? You're what?"

Rikku sobbed. "I'm falling for my fake husband. I'm falling for that jerk! I think I love Gippal. And I'm serious. I think I already love him. Every time he mentions Chloe, I always feel like I wanted to stop Gippal from talking about her. Yunie, I need your advice."

The brunette held her hands and smiled. "Rikku, from what you've told me, I can say that you're right. You're falling for your husband."

"So…I was right…I am falling for him. What will happen now? We promised each other before we get married three months ago that we'll not let our feelings get in our way. In short, we promised not to fall in love with each other. After all, this is just a show-a show to please our parents. Yunie, tell me. What should I do? Should I tell him about this?"

"NO! For heaven's sake Rikku, don't ever tell him about it!"

"What should I do then?"

Yuna shook her head. "E's cunno, Rikku but I don't know. But as your dear friend and cousin, all I can say is…control your feelings." (I'm sorry, Rikku)

Rikku cried. "But…but…WHAT IF I CAN'T CONTROL MY FEELINGS ANYMORE?"

"Rikku…" Yuna muttered. "If you're saying…you're in love with Gippal, what about Alexander? I thought he's your true love."

"I don't know. I'm confused, Yunie. Although I only realized that I love Gippal, I still have feelings for him. It was as if I am torn between two guys…that I love. I know it's not good but…"

"Tell me, Rikku. What if the time comes that you have to choose between Gippal and Alexander, who would you choose? The one you really love that loves you back or your fake husband who doesn't love you back?"

Rikku remained silent for several seconds. Afterwards, she shook her head. "Yunie…I don't know. I don't want to think about it for now. All I wanted is…to go home."

"I see. Want me to accompany you?"

"No. I can manage. Goodbye." Rikku hugged her cousin one last time before she went out of Yuna's house.

Rikku decided to board the public airship that is due to leave the Island at 4:30. She stayed at the cabin of the airship and read a pocketbook she brought with her. The truth is, her eyes were on the book but her mind is not on it. She was still thinking of what her cousin had told her.

_Control your feelings…_

_Yeah. Control my feelings. I won't let it be the basis of my decision. And…I promised Gippal not to let our emotions get in our way. I'll not break that promise…although it hurts to me that we'll not be together for the rest of our lives…_

Because she's so busy thinking, she didn't noticed that the airship was already in Luca. She closed the pocketbook and putted it back inside her bag. She jumped out of the airship and quickly headed home to take a rest.

When she was in the gate of their house, she noticed that it wasn't locked. _Stupid me. I forgot to lock the gate._ She thought. Rikku entered the house through the main door. She went to her room to change clothes. Tired, the young Al Bhed woman decided to lie down on the bed and take a nap.

_Maybe I can forget this confusion for a while…_

She was about to close her eyes when she suddenly remembered something. She's got to cook the dinner. Gippal might come home early. She quickly got up and tied her long hair. Rikku suddenly heard something very suspicious. Curious, Rikku grabbed the dagger from the drawer and slowly opened the door to check what happened and where the suspicious noise came from.

Gippal, who was cuddling Chloe, was busy staring at the view of the city from the second floor of Chloe's home when…

_Rikku?_

**TBC…**

**R & R please! Thanks! (",)**

**Master Thief/Shizuku06/heavenlystrike**


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